chock full o' happiness

I don't know about you, but I am a bath-taker. And as a bath-taker, I can tell you with great confidence that there are no better bath goodies than those from LUSH. I came home a couple of weeks ago after having some really depressing cases at work, and my LUSH drawer was EMPTY. Empty I tell you! The shame.

So I immediately ordered a new stash. And one lovely day this week, it arrived, happiness in a box:

Do yourself a favor. Order some Butterball bath bombs. Your skin will thank you.

(P.S. It's all hand-made, natural, fresh stuff too. Of course.)

Lessons I learned...

whilst in the ER (where I went for some pretty severe abdominal pain, and no worries, I'm much better now!)

1. Don't drive yourself. (This was my bad. Didn't occur to me to have someone else take me...). I couldn't even stay in my lane or drive the speed limit the whole way. Oops.

2. Have an ambulance take you. Kinda goes with #1, but seriously, those people get treatment immediately, rather than waiting around in excruciating pain for hours!

3. Try not to roll your eyes when your doctor tells you that you're "kind of" in the medical field. Gag.

4. Get insurance that doesn't have a pricey deductible for ER visits. I guess that's what I get for choosing a plan because "when am I ever going to go to the ER?"

And that's basically what I learned. I guarantee I won't be going back anytime soon, no matter how much pain I'm in. Besides, my tool of a doctor gave me painkillers for next time.

Long lost love.

I had all but given up on this blog, but lately I've been missing it. A place to post the things I'm into of late.

So, here I am. I think I'll get going again with Week In My Shoes: Round 2. I'm pretty positive I can be consistent now that I have this iPhone thing (that I drop on tile/leave around the hospital a couple times a day).

For an idea of how this will go, here's an example:

Approximately 12:06am, Sunday night. Sporting a pretty sweet hospital gown in the ER (where I was placed in the decontamination room. That's a whole other story).

I know, you're jealous.

What you should be jealous of is my super awesome big brother who came to hang with me into the wee hours of the morning even though I got so bored I made him perform divergent categorization tasks for fun...yeah, you totally want to be my sibling now, right?

I thought so. Stay tuned for lots more posting. Promise.

All my friends are leaving me.

This is Stephanie. She is my friend.

She is joining Ashley in Amarillo soon.

This makes me sad.

(But cool picture, right? It's an app I'm playing around with on my new iPhone...)

Maybe becoming Oklahoman is a good thing!

Daily Show: Thank You, South Carolina!
- Watch more Funny Videos at Vodpod.

This and that.

For all the free time I have right now, this thing should be updated daily. Honestly though, NOTHING of interest is really happening. I'm running errands every day related to (1) getting a license to practice SLP (which just came in the mail today! Hooray!), (2) getting my car title and registration changed to Oklahoma so that I can (3) get an Oklahoma driver's license.

I know, my life is sooooo interesting. So I'll try to update with what few interesting bits I can think of:

- After months of spotty dedication, I'm easing back on the running bandwagon. I know, really smart to get going now that it's in the 90s. I'm a glutton for punishment.

- I just started watching Glee. Why didn't you tell me it was so good? After I heard that Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, and Victor Garber had all guest starred I decided to give it a shot. But honestly, it's Mr. Schuester that keeps me tuned in.

- Chase Crawford was arrested yesterday for possession of marajuana. Is it weird that it kinda makes me like him more? Yes? I thought so. Moving on...

- I start work in 9 days. Hellooo khaki scrubs. And a paycheck. I can take that trade-off.

Now I'm going to get back to reading Kristin Chenoweth's book, A Little Bit Wicked. Don't judge me.

Good job, self!

I'm the kind of person that requires a motivational tool to get things done sometimes. So, I promise myself tangible rewards for task completion. For example, every Friday morning I get to go to Starbucks, since I made it through another week unscathed (and usually much better than that!).

That said, procuring employment required something a little bit nicer than a tall chai latte. So I got myself this:

I got it sans diamond (I think it's kind of awkward looking, although you can have it placed anywhere along the coast...just so you know).

I figured I needed a little piece of home around my neck, as I have to officially become...Oklahoman.

Since the job isn't officially official (paperwork is yet to be done), I'll just say that I'm staying in Oklahoma City for a while longer! I'm actually really excited about the opportunity and anxious to get going!

Completion.

Grad school is OVER!

Please look at the gorgeous women I had the pleasure of graduating alongside:

Love these people. It was a good three years.

Did they read my mind?

I just watched this video and died laughing.

Pretty sure they could read my mind while sitting in 98% of the church services I've been to.

Decisions, decisions.

Rather than focusing on the major life decisions I have coming just around the corner (what with my graduation on Saturday and all), I am choosing to focus on my hair.

The question at hand: to cut, or not to cut?

Let's take a moment to remember this young lady:

Was my hair really that long?!

And do we think it should be grown out again?

Critically important decisions to be made here, people. Help a girl out.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

You're the best!

or, as my brother wrote in grade school:

"My mother is the best,

She never lets me rest.

From day to day, I hear her say:

"Brush your teeth, comb your hair, change your socks and underwear!"

That's right, my friends, my brother is a poet.

A little hiatus.

I have been in hermit mode the last couple weeks. Any time not spent at the hospital is being spent studying for the comprehensive exam I take one week from tomorrow, which basically determines if I just wasted three years of my life (or if I can graduate, either way).

So until then, don't expect much (or anything, really) out of me!

What's wrong with this picture?

Yes, that would be a high of 72 in Edmond today, with snow/wind forecasted for tomorrow.

Oklahoma weather is something I don't think I'll ever get used to.

Becoming less available.

It's overcast, and I'm still in bed at 10:30. So I've been watching some TED talks and thought this one was both funny and very true.

Why I'm happy today.

After a little spell of homesickness (very rare for me), I'm headed home for some of Spring break to hang with the fam, run on the beach, eat Bojangle's, and unfortunately, study for my comprehensive exam. If I fail it, perhaps I will open a Bojangle's in Oklahoma. They desperately need one.

But first I get to go to Dallas and visit these lovely ladies (and eat more ethnic food)!

You should be jealous.

Lent update.

I complained approximately 214 times today. I fail at Lent.

But tomorrow is a new day. And if today taught me anything, it's that my woes are entirely insignificant in comparison to...oh, just about everyone I encounter.

That is all.

Sunday evening.

I have been doing laundry tonight and, per usual, I have to have entertainment to stay motivated. Lately I've been watching the Olympics, but tonight I was possessed and decided to watch A Walk to Remember. All I have to say is...what was I thinking?! I spent the entire time sitting on the couch weeping. Seriously. Laundry is still un-folded.

And when one of my friends posted this little video on facebook, I proceeded to cry as well. There is nothing cry-worthy in this video...just me all hopped up on Nicholas Sparks.

But this video was a great reminder of the fun people in Prague (AIFS is the organization I went with). Miss that place.

Happy Faces!

Over winter break, while playing around with my new camera, I discovered a feature called "Happy faces." It's supposed to give someone who isn't smiling a happy face. In theory, that's amazing. In reality, it's even more amazing, as it makes everyone look like The Joker.

Example 1:

Before:

After:

Example 2:

Before:

After:

Example 3:

Before:

After:

This can keep me entertained for hours.

Nobody like a whiner.

Normally I have some words to say about Lent, and what I'm thinking about it each year. Today I will just tell you that:

1. I have given up complaining for Lent.

2. I am not really even aware of when I complain. So, if you spend any time with me/talking to me, I am enlisting your help in the form of a gentle reminder, should you hear a complaint. :)

3. I voiced a rather whiny complaint this very day. Oops. This is a work-in-progress kinda thing.

4. I'm a year older today. That doesn't really have to do with Lent. Just sayin'.

Just in case..

You're stumped on what to get me for my birthday:

I'm loving this dress from anthro.

(Mom...you can disregard this. I still want the Keurig.)

Anthro...why must you be so costly?

Stream of consciousness

There is too much to tell you.

I love my new(ish) rotation. It guess it's not new after 3 weeks, but I'm enjoying it just the same.

I have a little b-day coming up...and I'm fairly certain I'm getting this fella:

it's going to make my life approximately a million times better.

Comprehensive exams are around the corner. Guess who is not at all prepared? That would be me.

I'm pretty sure scrubs make you lose all perception of your body. Don't be surprised if I come out of this rotation 20 pounds heavier. Not kidding.

We have not had a week without snow/ice since I've been back. I guess Oklahoma is trying to prepare me for my next destination, which I'm pretty sure is:

Chicago.

And that is all the news I have.

Dear weekend,

You have never felt as short as you do right now. I've loved wearing civvies and heels and perfume. I'd be yours forever if you'd last another day.

Love,

Christie

Haiti.

I haven't had much to say lately, with all that is happening in Haiti. If you have anything to give, Partners in Health was my choice, as they are long-established there and use almost all Haitian medical personnel.

The USS Carl Vinson is currently in Haiti delivering supplies and providing medical care, and there are some amazing pictures on it's facebook page. Check it out, the pictures as well as the subjects are incredible.

I've also been reading a couple blogs of people there, they have some incredible stories of what's happening:

The Livesays

The Mangines

RHFH Rescue Center

Aand, the disposables.

My mom, the photographer.

The only camera we took along during the race was the disposable one that came in our goody bag, because we didn't want to break a nice one. So, you'll just have to wait for what I'm sure will be amazing one-handed pictures of us running through Disney (taken in the dark, no less), as well as some pictures with random characters we happened upon during the run.

I'll be shocked if any of them are actually good, but a girl can dream.

Sadly the only two pictures on my camera are these:

Mom didn't see us coming, so she yelled "Go back and do it again!" Um, no. The finish was in sight and I could no longer feel my hands or feet, so that just wasn't going to happen.

But you didn't have to ask me twice to stop for a second.

Finished.

Okay, so maybe not fierce. But I finished! Despite the below freezing temperatures, sleet, and steady rain.

I was thiiiis close to frostbite. For reals.

Today the happiest place on earth was a little bit miserable, but I had great company!

Photography fail.

I love my new camera, but adjusting to it means lots of crappy pictures. No really, you should see my recent iPhoto folders, they're shameful.

Exhibit A (too much light):

And might I add: a typical day in our casa.

Exhibit B: Not enough light.

That one could have been good, too.

Finally, a good one! When someone else was taking it (of course):

7 years after high school, we got together for lunch during the couple of hours that all of our schedules aligned. It was lovely.

My next post (if all goes well) should be pictures of me looking fierce (and really sweaty) after completing a half marathon!